Cotton feed control system



Nov. 3, 1953 w. w. BLEDSOE I 2,557,474

I COTTON FEED CONTROL SYSTEM Filed March 14, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Woodrow W Bledsoe IN VEN TOR.

BY (mam Nov. 3, 1953 w. w. BLEDSOE 2,657,474

COTTON FEED CONTROL SYSTEM Filed March 14, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2

Woodrow W. Bledsoe INVENTOR.

Nov. 3, 1953 w. w. BLEDSOE 2,657,474

COTTON FEED CONTROL SYSTEM Filed March 14, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.3

SUGTION T0 OUTSIDE TELESGOPE SEPARA TOR OVERFLOW corron HOPPER nor AIR PIPE FROM DRYER MN T0 DRYER PIPE v woadmw W Eledsae .IN VEN TOR.

CkOSS BLOW 80X Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED, STATES rsmr orrl cr;

Woodrow W. Bledsoe, Dyersburg, Tenn.

. Application March14, 1952, Serial No. 276,587

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in cotton gins and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a system of controlling the amount of cotton going into the driers and cleaning equipment of a modern cotton gin.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a cotton feed control system so constructed as to permit a constant, even amount of cotton to be fed to a drier, thereby eliminating the supply of cotton in wads or lumps that occurs through use of the presently employed systems.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cotton feed control apparatus that will eliminate changing valves when picking up overflow by the conventional telescope suction and which will save time between bales, as there will be no waiting period for all of the cotton to clear out of the cleaning equipment.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a cotton feed control system that is extremely simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, compact in structure, eflicient and durable in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, install and service, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the present cotton feed control apparatus;

Figure 2 is a side view of Figure 1 and with parts broken away for the convenience of explanation; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with parts broken away to show the interior parts of the hopper.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral Ill represents an overflow cotton hopper whose upper end is attached to a separator l2 of conventional structure having an inlet pipe l4 that extends to a source of cotton.

An impeller or fan, not shown, forms part of the separator and will draw cotton into the separator from the conduit l4, whereupon the cotton will gravitate into the hopper. The separator also includes a power driven spider member 1 Claim. (01. 34-57) I6 whose radial spokes support rubber blades I8 that engage the inner periphery of the cylindrical wall portion 26 of the separator to restrict suction within the separator.

The intermediate portion of the hopper I0 is connected to a conventional conveyor distributor 22 that distributes cotton to conventional feeders and returns excess cotton to the overflow hopper H1.

The lower tapered end 24 of the overflow hopper Ill is provided with a discharge throat portion 26 that terminates in a cylindrical portion 28. A cross blow box 38 is disposed under the portion 28 and its upper wall is provided with an opening that registers with an opening in the portion 28.

A hot air conducting pipe 32 extends from a dryer fan and its lower tapered end 34 is connected to one end of the box 30 by an L pipe 36 that is preferably rectangular in cross section. The other end of the box 30 is connected to another L, pipe 38 that is coupled to the tapered lower end 46 of a pipe or conduit 42. Conduit 42 extends to conventional driers of a gin mill.

A pair of spaced parallel horizontally disposed feed rollers 44 and 46 are positioned in the throat portion 25. The rollers 44 and 46 are provided with supporting shafts 48 and 50 that are connected exteriorly of the portion 26 by meshing gears 52 and 54, whereby the rollers will rotate oppositely. An electric motor 56, of variable speed, is mounted on the hopper and its drive shaft carries a pulley 58 that is connected to a pulley 60 on shaft 56 by a pulley belt 62. The feed rollers rotate toward each other and downwardly and these rollers are formed with longitudinally extending circumferentially spaced ribs, whereby cotton will be forced downwardly from portion 26.

A spider member 64 is rotatably supported in the cylindrical portion 28 and its radial spokes support rubber blades 66 that ride against the inner periphery of portion 28 to prevent hot air passing through the box 36 from passing upwardly into the hopper ID. A power driven shaft 68 is connected to the supporting shaft 10 of the member 64 by pulleys and a belt so that cotton passing into the portion 28 will be directed into the box.

In practical use of the invention, cotton will pass into the hopper from the separator l2, and will drop into the lower portion 24 of the hopper where the feed rollers 44 and 46 force the cotton into portion 28. Warm air under pressure is forced through the box 30 and carries the cotton,

in the box upwardly through pipe 42 and to the driers.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A cotton feed control system comprising an elongated hopper having a reduced entrance opening and downwardly and inwardly inclined lower walls, a discharge opening below said walls, a separator supplying cotton to said hopper, a power driven spider disposed between said hopper and said separator and rotating in a cylindrical member in communication with said reduced entrance opening and said separator, said spider being provided with rubber flaps for engaging the inner periphery of said cylinder and sealing said hopper entrance opening, a pair otspacertparallel power driven feed rollers mounted at the. lower end of said walls over said discharge opening, a cylinder underlying the rollers and having an upper opening in registry with the discharge 20 opening, an elongated box underlying said cylinder, said box having an opening and said cylinder having a lower opening in registry with the opening in the box, a hot air conductive pipe connected to one end of said box, an outlet pipe adapted to extend to a drier and having an end attached to the other end of the box, and a spider member rotatably mounted within the cylinder including a plurality of rubber blades engaging the inner periphery of said cylinder to prevent the passage of hot air into the hopper from the box.

WOODROW W. BLEDSOE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,024,469 Mitchell Dec. 17, 1935' 2,068,587 Aldrich, Jr J an. 19, 1937 2,189;099 Bennett Feb. 6, 1940 

